NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Trust
Chapter 18: Trust
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“Sometimes we fear our allies more than our enemies, sometimes it is those who are supporting us who are more dangerous than those we are facing. An ally today, can be an enemy tomorrow. Betrayal isn’t as easy to accept as people think it is, some people found happiness despite betrayal, while others were thrown into the abyss of despair, cast aside like trash, never to be seen again.”
Veteran Johnathan, Survivor of the Apocalypse
Year 15
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--POV: Laurence—
--Place: Clarissa’s Dorm Room / Time:21:19—
“You have to get up early tomorrow, we have an expedition to attend to, don’t we?” I’m not going to accompany a yawning, sleeping, drowsy Clarissa tomorrow for her class’s expedition.
It seems we will be going into the rumoured Silent forest, the forest Ryuta is supposedly using as training. Her entire class will be accompanying us, and that includes Ryuta, Ticker, Truman, Maxwell, Ragnant and many others who we aren’t on best terms with.
But we can pull through, and Clarissa will hopefully get an acceptable grade, and by acceptable, I mean the best grade possible. The reason I’m going is of course is to protect her, not only is the forest dangerous, but even our enemies here in the capital are aggressive, just as the people who sent those 5 goons to follow us today.
After making sure she is in bed (Am I her parent or what?) I turn towards the door, before getting stopped in my tracks by her voice.
“It’s way too early, I won’t be able to sleep like this….” You serious? “Well, maybe if you told me a story, I would?”
Haaah…..
After inwardly sighing a bit, actually a lot. I decide to listen to this selfish request, just this once.
Pulling a chair near her bed, with the only thing illuminating the room being the moonlight behind me, I sit, lean my head back and tell a story…..
--POV: None—
--Place: Unknown / Time:Unknown—
Once upon a time, there was a little dragon.
This little dragon was born into the wilderness, with no family or even parents in sight.
This same dragon had to fight for survival in a place that was essentially run by the law of the jungle, where the strong devour the weak.
The dragon had to curl up in a cave during the cold winter nights, with no warmth or protection, the only thing stopping the cold being his hard scales.
Yet he lived on.
He didn’t stop, he kept trying his hardest, he never wallowed in despair, he never cursed his misfortune.
He dealt with it, believing it was normal.
But one day, as the dragon was surviving in the harsh terrain, he came across a human, a man.
This man’s name was Ken.
The man asked the dragon “What is your name?”
The dragon, not understanding the sounds coming out of the man’s mouth, backed away from the man, his heart filled with caution and wariness.
Ken, seeing this, decided to stay with the dragon, to live with it.
This man, Ken, taught the little dragon so many things, he taught him how to speak, how to read, how to write, he even taught him what each expression means.
The dragon learnt stuff he never even dreamed of, stuff he previously couldn’t comprehend, it was amazing.
Ken showed the little dragon with his knowledge how vast the world truly is, how much there is to know, how much there is to see.
And together the dragon and the man fought, fought as warriors, as allies, as best friends.
Ken showed the dragon how tasty cooked food could be, showed him what it means to be alive.
The years went by, and by now the little dragon was 7 years old.
And the man asked again “What is your name?”
In which the dragon responded “I don’t have one”
The man laughed, before saying “From now on, your name is Lucas”
Lucas, the dragon repeated.
For Lucas, this was bliss.
It didn’t matter if the environment was harsh, it didn’t matter if he had to risk his life to eat tomorrow.
Because as long as Ken was there for him, was there with him, he could survive anything.
However, one day, the bliss came to an end.
Lucas woke up, only to find Ken gone.
He feared the worst, imagining something bad happened to Ken.
Exiting the cave, Lucas was shocked.
Humans, humans in every direction, circling him in an encirclement that has a 70 foot diameter.
But how did they know Lucas was there?
There is only one being who knew such a thing, one human, Ken.
The dragon was still in denial, with his naïve heart telling him that he was wrong.
But he had no choice but to accept it.
Lucas moved back under the pressure of their glares, overflowing with ill intent.
Lucas could do only one thing.
He could only fight.
And fought, he had.
Being too young to fly with his wings or use any magic, he fought, fought desperately.
Trying to break the encirclement, he got wounded.
But despite this, despite the pain telling him this was not a nightmare.
Despite these humans looking eerily similar to Ken.
He had hope, he had a will, a will to live to see tomorrow.
Fighting with his pitiful might, he finally broke the encirclement.
Run, was the only thing on Lucas’ mind.
He ran, despite heavy wounds, despite the agony, despite his body telling him to stop and rest.
He didn’t stop.
He knew that if he did, he would suffer the life of a slave, of a belonging.
He will not accept that, not after understanding what it means to be alive.
And he ran, with humans chasing him with weapons and magic.
As he ran, he vowed, vowed to himself, in his little heart, that he will get revenge.
And he won’t rest.
Not until everyone who wronged him has paid.
--POV: Laurence—
--Place: Clarissa’s Dorm Room / Time:21:32—
*SOB* *SOB*
Sobbing in my left ear, brings me back from those memories. Memories I’ll never forget “y…you..are….lucas….aren’t…you?” Clarissa asks in between her sobbing, a truly foolish question.
“No, I am not” I will never be him “Lucas died on the 18th of Octobius, at nine o’clock” Her sobbing stops as she holds her breath. Hugging me tighter than ever as she sits on my lap, with both legs apart, with my legs between them. “And on that very same 18th of Octobius, at that same time of nine o’clock, Laurence was born.”
“Lucas is a figment of the past” I state angrily, trying to convince myself more than her “Lucas doesn’t exist anymore.”
“Yes…Lucas is no more” She leans back, so I can see a sad smile and tear streaks staining her beautiful face, and her blood-red eyes sparkling under the moonlight. “Only Laurence is here, here with me.”
…..Only
Laurence…..
And with that, the little girl cried herself to sleep, in the arms of the littl- now big dragon.